MINGLE ∞ LOG — June 2025

[thediadem]

Mingle ∞ Log

No Lifeguard on Duty

©

Jump ⇅ :: Intro — Prompts — NPC Interaction

Summary

What's going on?

An unexpected heat wave in mid-June, coupled with the cycling shutdown of all air conditioning units in motels across the Blocks, has made the summer unbearable. Meanwhile, the ever-eager storm chaser, Felix Bjurstrom, has uncovered a fancy resort with a pool in a diffusion zone only 1 hour out from Panorama. Lucky, right? Well...kind of. It's got some quirks.

When is this happening?

June 10 - 30

What should I know?

• This area is one of many diffusion zones that appear throughout the planet.
• A storm chaser is someone dedicated to studying the cosmic phenomenon in the Diadem. Felix is a pioneer in his field.
• A winding highway filled with old empty barrels will take you to the zone.
• Characters can travel with a friend to save on gas! Parking's limited, so it might not be a bad idea.
• At any given time, there's max several dozen visitors. Most work long hours, some are traveling through the diffusion zones, and others prefer not to risk the drive or waste precious gas, so it won't draw a huge crowd (but there's still a crowd!).
• This is a mingle rather than an event. Plot-heavy elements will be minor. The game's first proper event will be posted in July!

What does my character know?

• Having lost his phone, Felix will spread the word using good old-fashioned printed posters that he's put up around Panorama. A young woman is seen helping him. They appear to be close. Some say that's his daughter.
• Though the timing is impossible to predict accurately, Felix believes that due to this zone's unusual proximity to an anchor point, it has a high chance of persisting for 2-3 weeks.
• Directions are printed on the posters, though characters are also free to stumble across the zone by accident.

∞ Links ∞

Travel — Map — Setting

Introduction

The resort looks like your typical upscale vacation spot: a beautiful pool, lovely cabins, and plenty of pool chairs. The sky is perpetually nighttime and there are two moons. One moon is smaller than its sister and glows purple. The other looks like the Earth's moon. The weather is pleasantly warm. In fact, conditions are almost too perfect.

Other fluxdrifts are here, too, and you might come across them, all of whom are taking advantage of the pool. They'll converse superficially with you and will come and go randomly. You'll want to keep a close eye on your belongings. Other than cooling off, this isn't a bad place to start making connections. Life in the Diadem is better when you've got allies if not friends.

Just outside the resort is a spacious parking lot, designed for visitors. Nobody's following parking rules so put your car anywhere it fits. If you get blocked in, well, that's a problem for when you leave.

At the end of June, the diffusion zone will flicker and morph into an unremarkable overgrown park, long abandoned to the decades.

©

©

©

⇅ Top

Prompts

As you wander around, you discover deactivated androids in many of the poolside huts. These androids cannot be mistaken for any organic species: their chassis is metal, and their heads are shiny. Circuits and wires are visible. But each is dressed distinctly human in a way that borders on disturbing. You spot lipstick drawn on some of the metal faces, as though they're playing dress up...or as if they don't realize they aren't human. One android is frozen in place with a diary clutched in its hands. Another has a hairbrush for its nonexistent hair.

Something seems to have destroyed them—perhaps a powerful EMP wave that knocked them all out. All except one.

The Bartender

The poolside bar is at the eastern end of the resort. There are plenty of seats. A few are occupied by deactivated androids. The bartender is also an android and appears to be the only functional one in this place. He speaks with a modulated voice and has a neutral accent. He exhibits the following behaviors if you sit at his bar:

• Icebreaker. Whether you're alone or with a companion, he'll try to get you all to be friends, asking random self-generated icebreaker questions. He'll be visibly disappointed if you don't play along.
• Bartending. While cheerful, he can't make the correct drink: it's always too strong, incredibly weak, added salt instead of sugar, messed up the ice. He's obviously doing his best, but it's just not working. The harder he tries, the worse he performs until it becomes a comedy of errors with stuff falling over, ice dumped in your lap, champagne corks flying, and any number of slapstick mishaps. You can help him out by mixing the drink yourself.

If you're nice to him, he'll introduce himself as Thomas Lustras. He's happy to tell you about his son. Strange, you think, but who says androids can't have paternal instincts? Yet, when the android takes out his wallet to show you a photo of his son—named Edward Lustras—the picture is that of a human child, roughly 5 years old, in the arms of his human father.

The driver's license in the same wallet confirms that Thomas is (was?) a real person. The picture on the license matches the human male in the photo. A half-scorched business card states that Thomas was a consultant at Outer Rim Resettlements. Thomas believes he's on a company retreat and wistfully declares he's eager to return home to his son.

Maybe don't look too closely. After all, this place will soon disappear. And so will he.

The Grill

It's not a vacation without a grill! Not a grillable item is in sight, though, so you'll have to rely on what you can bring out of Panorama. Some of the visiting drifters will pitch in to share, unloading hotdogs (some synthetic, others authentic, and some far past expiry), burger patties (same) and buns, and "kebabs" made of blocky frozen vegetable squares. The squares vaguely resemble corn, mushrooms, and pineapple. The texture is passable, like a flavor-infused block of tofu.

Fire up the grill and take turns grilling. You'll also have to manage the propane. The grill's also prone to sputtering out, requiring regular minor repairs to get it back up and going. Any loose bolts or screws can be taken out of the dead androids to replace the rusty ones in the grill. You're unsure if you should feel uncomfortable doing that or what, but it is a solution.

Parking Woes

Like any crowded event, the parking lot can get chaotic, and the lawlessness of the diffusion zones doesn't help. While some are happy to help barbecue, others are more interested in picking fights over who got to the parking space first. It won't take much for a fistfight to break out, and a knife fight isn't out of the question, either, though nobody'll be killed (this time).

You can let the troublemakers beat each other, or you can try to intervene if somebody who doesn't deserve it is getting harassed. Just avoid causing too much of a scene. Breaking noses is acceptable; gutting someone head to toe is not. There are Enforcers visiting the zone, and if you interfere with their nice pool time, they won't hesitate to haul away everybody involved and make you sit in jail for a few days.

Questions? Ask here

Main Navigation ::: ⇅ Top

Comments

ice broken.

[tolight]

[ Eventually, she’s freed from the interrogation when Thomas begins servicing the rest of the patrons at the bar. She finishes her drink without complaint. But instead of asking for another one, or leaving altogether, Lucina stays in her seat. She’s watching the singular bartender as he goes about his business with her brows knit together, as if she’s trying to make sense of it all.

( She’s seen his photos — he’s not exactly shy about the love for his son, and she’s at least had the propriety to smile and nod while he gushed about how bright Edward was for a five year old. But how he looked in the photo is not at all how he looks now, and she has no idea what to make of that. )

Watching him for however long ( minutes, maybe close to half an hour ) doesn’t yield her any more answers than it did when she was speaking to him. So Lucina leans her head whoever is sitting next to her, eyes still on Thomas, whether or not she recognizes them. Her voice is pitched low, just barely above the chatter of the room so make sure she doesn’t offend him. He is very kind, just— ]

What is he? [ Local girl has never seen an android in her life, help. At this point she’s wondering if he’s supposed to look like the photos, and she’s just seeing things... again. She hopes not, the first time was kind of rough. ]

[exarched]

[ She isn't the only one who has been watching their resident bartender with keen interest. After spending some time with the less active replicas stored throughout the resort, seeing one so up and "lively" is equal parts refreshing as it is curious.His own knowledge with such creations is varied, albeit limited, and the manner of this particular creations origin is entirely unknown.

With his own drink in hand (after a substantial wait and several retries on dear Thomas' part), G'raha steps away to allow a few other patrons to make their orders. Yet G'raha doesn't drink, not right away, instead merely watching for a moment as he cradles his glass as he takes a seat in the next unoccupied space he can find.

At the sound of the very question of his own mind vocalized, he looks up and around, red eyes finally settling on a blue-haired woman. ]

...A fair question.

[ He acknowledges her with a quick smile, though his attention is back on Thomas just as quickly. ]

One I have been asking myself. Have you seen the others?

[tolight]

Briefly, yes. [ They had been uncomfortable to look at, to say the least. She's used to death; corpses stopped bothering her a long time ago, for better or for worse. But these aren't corpses in the traditional sense, their faces completely devoid of expression as they try to masquerade as something they're not.

Lucina glances back towards the direction of the cabins, as if she can see them again by just turning around ( she can't ). There's a little furrow of her brows by the time she turns around, facing G'raha once more. ]

I wasn't sure what to make of it at first. Now ... [ Her eyes flit over to Thomas again, who's apologizing profusely at another patron for making a drink ... without the drink. There's just ice in the cup and nothing else. ] I'm afraid I'm at even more of a loss. Do you think it's possible he's not aware of his current form?

[exarched]

[ G'raha's gaze follows hers to the little huts as his mind rolls through the ones he managed to catalogue. Not everyone, certainly. He will have to come back with some more notebooks, he thinks. And while he has no idea what this actually means, it's clear none of these androids are there by accident. ]

I do.

[ He admits as he frowns lightly in thought. He brings one of his hands up, curling his forefinger at his chin as he considers. ]

Though with machines it might be hard to say how much might merely be programming rather than the presence of...self.

[ He's hesitant to say "soul", though the thought is there on the edge of his mind. ]

Would it be more or less unnerving to potential guests if the "help" were to see themselves as equally alive?

[tolight]

[ Something's not adding up.

Here's the thing: these are definitely not humans, even if they had been acting as though they are. A strange mimicry she's still not sure what to make of, especially considering they're metal and not flesh. But they were — are, in Thomas' case — conscious. Maybe not breathing, not the way she does, but he spoke to her. Handed her a drink. If an android walks like a living being, and talks like a living being, then there's no reason for her to think he's not alive.

The problem, of course, is that the man she's speaking to now — who is very much living and breathing and presumably more aware of what an android is — is saying otherwise. Or at least, that's what she thinks he's saying. It takes her a moment before she can even entertain the possibility.

Then, the frown only grows before she quietly, carefully asks: ] ... Is he not? Alive, I mean.

[exarched]

[ G'raha feels like he might have had the answer, but the question actually gives him pause. How does one define "alive"? It's a deeper conversation than he would imagine to have while at some strange resort complete with a full bar and pool, but things rarely go the way he imagines them to.

After a thoughtful moment, G'raha admits with weak smile, ]

I may not be qualified to make that distinction.

[ But that's not because he is out of things to say. ]

What does not have a physical body may still be considered alive. What has a mechanical body, likewise, may be considered alive. [ He thinks of the Omicron and their unique, self-made evolution. He thinks of Otis, full of personality, of emotion, born of memory. ] I suppose a better way to put it would be ask if the memories Thomas claims to have are indeed his own, whether they be the result of clever programming or...someone else's.

[ The latter does not seem so far-fetched these days. ]

[tolight]

[ There's a lengthy pause as she considers the answer, the hypothetical line between a body and its memories. Perhaps a robot isn't all that different from a Risen, in some ways. If Risen are the bodies of those who have fallen without their memories, then those with memories but without the body that should have made those memories would be— ]

... So you mean to say that it's possible this body is impersonating Thomas, while unaware he is a... facsimile. [ How complicated. And disconcerting. Unfortunately, she doesn't get the chance to digest much more than that.

Thomas returns to their end of the bar, hands busy while he makes another drink ( it's not an edible shade of purple, godspeed to whoever gets this one ). You two look a little glum! Everything alright?

Oh! How about another question, hm? What's one place you've traveled that you never want to go back to? ]

[exarched]

[ She summaries his wandering thoughts well. G'raha nods, though he does not take any specific comfort in the thought. ]

To put it succinctly, yes.

[ Though before he can propose more details to the hypothesis, they are interrupted. G'raha straightens immediately, ears perking up at the question as he trades a glance at his companion. ]

Never?

[ Despite the fact he wants to continue his previous train of thought, G'raha does give the question a moment's consideration. Where would he not to go back? There are so many places he would like to re-explore, but... ]

Ah...I was gifted a surprise visit to an ancient metropolis once.

[ "Gifted" is certainly putting it kindly. ]

My accommodations were...wanting, to say the least.

[ Ahem. He turns once again to the blue-haired woman beside him with a curious expression, forcing a fast smile. ]

And you?

[ To entertain their bartender without drawing too much attention otherwise. ]

[tolight]

[ Gifted..... a surprise visit............ G'raha this might be the understatement of the century,

Fortunately, Lucina's (blissfully) unaware of the circumstances of said visit, and can only wonder what kind of accommodations he had. Or... the lack thereof, apparently. There's a curious glance over in his direction, questions forming that she won't voice just yet — prying feels... in appropriate.

The spotlight ends up back on her soon enough, anyway. ]

Ah, I would not go as far as to say I'd never want to visit again, but... a country at the north of the continent gets cold in the winter months. [ She thought she'd be okay, then she ended up having to stay there for longer than she expected. ] I was woefully unprepared for it.

dueling grandpas fighting for the same prompt

[unsunder]

A machine.

[ Says a voice somewhere off to the side. Emet-Selch has taken up post near the end of the bar, having discovered that "Thomas" tends to get distracted before he makes it all the way down to him, so he's left mostly free of silly icebreaker questions.

Not free of flying ice cubes whenever the android trips over his own feet, though. ]

Or were you hoping for a more detailed answer?

[tolight]

[ A machine, like a car or a cash register. But also ... with a child, apparently. Somehow capable of emotions and communication, making drinks ( albeit poorly ) for those who visit. She's not sure what to make of that.

So she frowns. Her eyes have wandered back to Thomas as he begins fumbling around for his wallet again, ready to show another unsuspecting patron the photographs of Edward. ] I'm not ... certain.

He acts as though he is a man. Is that normal?

[unsunder]

[ He lifts a shoulder in a lazy half-shrug. ]

That depends on the machine. I’m inclined to believe all the machines here believed themselves to be human, for some reason or other.

[ The evidence of that is rather overwhelming. He’s not sure of the why of it, but the why very likely doesn’t matter. If what they’ve told is correct, this place will blip out of existence before too long. ]

[tolight]

[ That's the problem, though — she's not sure of the why of it, but she wants the why to matter. Maybe it's the photograph he's holding, or the way he speaks of a son that likely no longer exists, or the fact that he is kind, despite all else. It's hard to say. She's not one to examine her bleeding heart.

She watches a patron's expression flicker from surprise, to confusion, then to discomfort. No one's burst his bubble, it seems ( or maybe they have tried, and it didn't work ). A beat later— ]

Perhaps they were human, once. [ And something made them otherwise. ] I can't imagine there's much to be gained by believing you are something you are not.

[unsunder]

Ignorance is bliss, as they say. Even willful ignorance.

[ Like her, he watches the exchange happening down the bar, the awkward exchange of glances between the Fluxdrifts that Thomas is happily showing off photos to.

He swirls his drink in its glass a bit before taking another sip. ]

‘Tis possible that it is not a choice, but a matter of programming. I cannot rightly say.

extremely distracted by him in a suit thanks ramey

[tolight]

[ That's somehow even sadder?? Her frown grows until her gaze drops, opting to stare at the series of drinks lined across the way. Most of them are untouched, she notes.

It feels... a little cruel. To watch someone oblivious to his circumstances, unable to do anything about it. ]

What do you suggest we do? Is there anything that should be done? [ Chances are — even if something can be done, she won't be the one that can do it. But it feels wrong not to ask. To at least try. ]

you're welcome!

[unsunder]

Do? Like what?

[ Surely she doesn’t have it in her head to try and help this man. If there is anything he needs help with, it’s learning how to properly tend a bar, not question his very existence. ]

He seems perfectly happy as is.

[opticular]

Some type of robot.

[ Scott supplies as an answer while he sits a chair apart from her at the bar. He has just finished a good lap in the pool, his hair still a bit wet, as well as his torso that's only covered by an open shirt. He's nursing a bottle of beer in his hand, the very mild kind, since he doesn't do alcohol so he'd be able to stay alert.

With a small smile, his gaze follows her and then back towards Thomas when he speaks again. ]

Never seen one before? [ To be fair, technology isn't this advanced yet from when he's from. But he has seen robots in factories and companies. They're not unheard of. ]

[tolight]

[ She mouths the word under her breath; she's heard both of them floating around between the patrons here, all of which seem far more comfortable with the concept than she is. It's not exactly a surprise she doesn't know — she learned what a car is barely a few weeks ago. There isn't a lot of shame as she learns, or when he asks the question. Just a nod. ]

No. I admit, I hadn't fathomed such a ... thing could exist. [ She returns to watching Thomas salt the bottom of a margarita glass, perfectly serious. It's not like she's ever had a margarita before — as far as she knows, this is something he's actually doing correctly. ] But watching him now...

Have you seen the photographs he carries?

[opticular]

I have. Hard to believe them, to be honest.

[ That an android can be formally human. It's probably a soul transfer of some sort, transferring the consciousness of an actual human being to a robot. He can shoot concussive blasts through his eyes, it's not far from the realm of possibility. And yet, it's still very bewildering, and Scott's not sure if it's worth believing. He puts a pin on that chunk of information for now, jot it down on his notebook when he gets a chance. Analyze it some other time.

He glances at Thomas for a bit while he creates the drink and then back to her. ] What's your world like if you haven't imagined something like an android could exist?

[tolight]

[ There's a hum at the answer — thoughtful, if a little wary. She's still watching the man — robot — behind the bar while Scott takes his notes, stamping down the curiosity in favor of propriety. Maybe if the conversation comes back around that way, she'll ask.

For now, the question has her turn back around. There's a brief beat, a flit of her gaze wandering elsewhere, before she finds her words. ]

Based on conversations with others, it seems that the world I hail from is far more primitive than what is found here. I've only learned what a car is upon my arrival here — our main forms of transportation were carriages on land, ships for the sea, and pegasi and wyverns for the air.

[ A beat. ] Though I have been informed that for other Fluxdrifts, my home sounds ... fantastical. [ Mostly the pegasi and wyverns. The dragons too, but she hasn't really told anyone about that yet. ] Is that the case for you, as well?

[opticular]

Pretty much.

[ Scott replies with a shrug and a small smile. Pegasi and wyverns. Sounds like something straight of a fantasy novel. Not to mention carriages and ships as modes of transportation. This person probably lived in a castle or a hut somewhere. Sometimes, Scott forgets just how diverse the fluxdrifts are in this planet... or realm (he hasn't really concluded on anything concrete regarding this yet.)

His smile broadening and shifting into a more sympathetic one, he continues their conversation. ]

Must be very confusing when you arrived here, then. How have you been faring so far? [ For someone who just learned what a car is upon arrival, he figures she'd have no knowledge how to repair or maintain it. Scott wouldn't mind extending a helping hand if necessary. ]

[tolight]

[ A castle until that was destroyed. Then wherever she could sleep, really. Army tents for the most part. Just outside, for a few years. The occasional stronghold or fortress whenever the opportunity presented itself. She's never been all that picky about her living arrangements ( couldn't be ). Right now, she's settled for sleeping in her car on most nights. It's no canvas walls and tiny cots, but it's familiar enough.

She clocks the sympathy, and hums in response. ] It still is, I'm afraid. [ Confusing, she means; there's no shame in admitting that, she thinks. Sympathy will always remain difficult to receive, but she knows better than to let her pride lead here. She's started on a backfoot. Her car broke down in the middle of the road, and there was nothing she could do until help arrived.

Speaking of— ]

Still. Many of those that I have met have been very kind, and I've been learning what I could. And moments like this [ with the food, the idle chatter around them, ] remind me that there are still plenty of similarities despite everything. [ You know, the camaraderie. Banding together despite the strange, unforgiving circumstances. ( Just uh, ignore the fiasco that's happening in the parking lot. ) ]

[opticular]

I agree.

[ That there are still plenty of similarities despite everything. That their greatest strength has always been building community despite their differences. All of them Fluxdrifts here have been dragged from their worlds during different points in time and that commonality is what really binds them together. All of them figuring stuff out as they go along.

Scott smiles at her words, putting him at ease that he's not the only one here who values teamwork and community. It's a good realization whenever he gets it. ]

If you happen to have some problems with your car or anything technology-related, you can call me. I'm skilled at fixing and repairing things. [ He feels it's only fair to offer this to her, someone who's currently adjusting as well as seeing the benefits of unity. ]

[virtuose]

[She was wary when she first approached the android, unsure what to make of him. He isn't quite a Nevron—which made her suspicious to begin with—and neither was he human. Her initial observations, watching as he served the patrons that approached the bar, put him somewhere in-between, maybe even some kind of metallic gestral. Though Maelle wasn't quite sure what to make of it, a part of her thought that Gustave would have a field day if he hadn't interacted with the android just yet.

When he came back to speak with her, she humored him, up until he procured a picture of his son. Her brow creased, looking back and forth between the picture and the android holding out to her. Considering her own upbringing and eventual relationship with Gustave and Emma, she isn't one to talk, instead remaining cordial as he regaled her about Edward. Surely he can't be the same person as the one that was holding the child in the picture...

It's soon after he leaves that she hears a familiar voice, turning to find Lucina having settled close by.]

I'm not sure myself. [She sneaks another glance at Thomas, taking a sip of the Shirley Temple that was offered to her when she said she was underage.] He doesn't quite look like anything from my world. Seems like there's a lot of them though.

[So many of them were scattered around, and she's yet to investigate them, filing it as something to do at a later time.]

[tolight]

[ It is nice to see a familiar face here, despite it all; the fact that there are familiar faces to see is a blessing in itself. Maelle's already gotten a smile and a nod, pleasantries exchanged. How she's been, if the city has been treating her well, et cetera.

Back to the conversation at hand, though— ]

There were the ones in the huts, yes. They were cool to the touch, like that of metal. [ And not a corpse. Which... the distinction feels important to make in her head, but maybe not out loud. ] I've never seen anything like it either.

I thought he was armored at first, but... [ She shakes her head. ] He moves far too fluidly for that to be the case.